


blue dreams

by cosmotron



Category: Life Is Strange (Video Game)
Genre: Canon Bisexual Character, F/F, Hair Dyeing, Intimacy, Recreational Drug Use, Romantic Friendship, Snowed In, Timeline What Timeline, and reenact their childood sleepovers, max and chloe spend a snowy day together, max smokes pot for the first time, there is lots of cuddling and making out
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-29
Updated: 2015-11-29
Packaged: 2018-05-03 21:36:58
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,210
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5307719
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cosmotron/pseuds/cosmotron
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When she looked at Chloe, well. It was like nothing else existed in the world.</p>
            </blockquote>





	blue dreams

**Author's Note:**

> First LiS fanfiction. Hopefully everyone's in character. I've got more LiS fic on the way too, some good long chapter stuff, so look forward to that! My heart has been stolen by this game, and Pricefield, so there are lots of fics I want to write.
> 
> Title comes from the marijuana strain "blue dream". This fic dicusses pot smoking, and both the characters smoke, so keep that in mind if that's not your thing. 
> 
> This is also my first time publishing something this sexually explicit. Even though no sex ultimately happens - sorry to disappoint - this is also the first time I've written a scene like that with two women. I'm bi, and I tried to use my experience with some of the feelings, but I'm yet to actually make out with another woman, so any constructive crit on that would be appreciated so that I can get better.
> 
> I really tried to capture the tone of those moments in the game where the atmosphere takes over. I hope I succeeded, and that y'all enjoy.
> 
> Oh, and for those interested, I made a Pricefield GMV here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=27OZB66Hm8o

* * *

While Max and Chloe didn’t spend every night together, sometimes there were days in a row where they just…didn’t want to stop seeing each other. It had always been that way; countless times they’d begged their respective parents to let them stay the night at the other’s house both Friday _and_ Saturday. Sometimes they’d push for Sunday, too, and on one occasion Max had even gotten to spend a week with Chloe when Max’s parents were out of town. She’d had so many sleepovers with Chloe they truthfully did all blend together, but she’d loved all of them, even though inevitably spending that much time with someone would result in a few little fights.

Max, ever the responsible child, had tried to point out that she really ought to go home, but Chloe would just grab her hand and say “Aw, come on, stay with me!” and Max said yes every time, because really, she wouldn’t mind spending every night with Chloe.

Max had had a feeling tonight would be one of those nights when she looked out the window and saw the storm clouds. Chloe _loved_ to use bad weather as an excuse.

She’d start sneaky about it too: first just commenting on the weather a few times, and then as the day went on she’d start complaining about the roads while driving, and how she wasn’t looking forward to doing it in the dark, and so on.

And so, of course, when Chloe would look out at the rain or the snow, a little grin on her face, and say “Man, driving in this weather’s gonna suck a bag of dicks”, Max would sigh and shake her head, even though she was smiling too, and reply:

“Well then, you shouldn’t do any driving, huh?”

One of the best parts about this now was that it always worked for Joyce, and even David. They were both, after all, ultimately concerned (or slightly obsessed, in David’s case) with safety. More than once, though, Max had caught a fond look in Joyce’s eye, and had a feeling that Joyce at least had an inkling of what they were doing.

So, when the tiny snowflakes grew, becoming heavy and fluffy, Max knew she was going to be staying the night at Chloe’s house, especially as the flakes started to fall heavier and faster, covering everything in a quickly-thickening layer of snow.

“Damn,” Chloe said, looking out the sliding glass door.

The sight of Chloe, the only thing of color against all the white of the snowy backyard, was enough to make Max pull out her camera and take a picture.

Chloe smiled as she turned around. “Lemme see that.” She held out her hand, and Max gave it over, even as she felt her face heating up. She always wanted to show Chloe her photographs, and she loved how much Chloe seemed to enjoy them, but a part of her was also afraid that Chloe might be weirded out by just how _often_ Max took her picture.

Chloe stared at the photo for several long seconds. “You’re so talented, Max,” she said, handing it back, and Max put it in her bag.

“So are you,” Max said, coming to stand by the sliding door with her. “And I don’t think you should drive me home in this weather.”

Chloe turned her head, a smile creeping up her face.  “Oh yeah?”

“Yeah,” Max nodded.

It was already getting darker, with the clouds covering the sky. Joyce was working late at the diner tonight, and David would probably be at Blackwell pretty late as well, which Max was grateful for. She loved Joyce, and knew that deep down David meant well, but Chloe was always tense around the both of them, and she could understand why.

“Well, Mad Max, what do you wanna do?” Chloe asked.

“Hm,” Max considered this. “Not sure. What about you, Captain Chloe?”

Chloe laughed. “Well, I’ve gotta medicate first.”

“But of course.” Max gave a slightly exaggerated gesture toward the stairs, and Chloe elbowed her. Max swatted her arm away, laughing, and they walked up the stairs together.

Once in her bedroom, Chloe grabbed her stash and went to her desk. She was loading her bong; it was fairly tall, and the glass had a slightly blue-ish tinge.  Chloe had proudly told her its name was “Sayaka”, and Max would later learn that she also had a pipe named “Totoro”. Apparently Chloe named all of her smoking supplies after anime characters, and quite frankly it was adorable. Adorkable.

Chloe paused, setting the bowl on the table. “Wanna smoke with me?” she asked.

Max hesitated. Chloe had been asking her lately – not pressuring her, just asking – and Max had to admit that she’d been tempted. She’d done some research into it, and that made her feel more tempted, and helped her understand more why Chloe smoked so much. Hell, she’d definitely prefer that Chloe “wake and bake” then drink all the time. And she was also pretty curious to see what it was like. If there was one thing her powers had taught her, it was that there were so many things in this world she wanted to experience, especially with Chloe. The snow was beautiful outside, it was warm in the room, and Chloe was smiling at her. What better time to try it?

“Sure,” Max said, and Chloe’s eyebrows raised.

“Really?” she asked, and her smile widened when Max nodded. “Awesome, man! Hold on, I’ll go put some ice in this.”

Max sat on the edge of the bed, feeling a little nervous, but excited at the same time. She could hear Chloe in the kitchen, getting ice and cursing as she (Max guessed) dropped some on the floor. She came back up the stairs a minute or so later, her hand a little wet from the ice, shutting the door behind her. She loaded the bong quickly at the desk.

“Come here,” she said, and Max stood, walking over to the desk next to her.

“Smell this,” Chloe said, gesturing to the plastic bag she’d pulled the weed from. “Tell me what you think.”

Max picked up the baggie and opened it, inhaling the smell inside. “Hmmm.” She paused, and then smelled it again. She wasn’t sure how to describe it, honestly. It was kind of bitter, but sweet? Earthy? It reminded her of walking in the forest.

“It’s kind of weird,” Max said. “But I like it.”

Chloe nodded. “Cool. You can sit on the bed again if you want.”

Max nodded, but instead went and put on the spare pajamas she always left at Chloe’s. It was a “Heroines of Final Fantasy” tank top she’d special ordered online. Chloe had teased her for being a geek, but only after geeking out over the shirt herself, the hypocrite. Max smiled fondly as she pulled on a pair of soft pajama shorts as well.

“Oh, great idea!” Chloe said. “Getting high’s more fun when you’re comfortable anyway. Especially your first time.”

“You make it sound so serious,” Max said, keeping her eyes fixed on the door, even as she could see Chloe changing in her peripheral vision.

Chloe snorted. “It’s not a bat mitzvah or anything, but I want you to have a good high. So, that means making sure you’re comfortable and okay, and not feeling overwhelmed or too high or whatever.”

Max smiled. Sometimes Chloe was just so sweet. “I know it’ll be great. Being with you is fun no matter what.”

Chloe was quiet for a second. “Well, um, good. I’m glad.” She sounded almost embarrassed, but pleased.

When they were both finished changing, they sat together on the bed, and Chloe instructed her on how to smoke.

“The ice’ll help make the smoke less harsh for you,” she explained. “When you breathe in, you want the water down here to bubble – ” she pointed to the bottom of the bong “ – and when you take your hit, hold the smoke in for a few seconds before letting it out, if you can. You also won’t feel it immediately, so you won’t want to do too many your first time, okay supergirl?”

Max snorted. “Aye aye.”

Chloe flipped her off, and then took her hit on the bong, closing her eyes as she did so. She held her breath for five seconds, and then passed it over to Max as she exhaled.

Max took the bong in one hand, and Chloe’s cool dragon lighter in the other. _Well, here it goes,_ she thought as she lit the bowl and inhaled. She managed to hold in the smoke for three seconds before she coughed a little, and passed it back to Chloe, letting out her breath.

“You okay?” Chloe asked, amused.

Max cleared her throat. “Um, yeah.” She felt her face heating up again.

Chloe shook her head. “Noob,” she said fondly. “The next one will be easier.”

She was right. Max’s next turn was a lot easier actually, now that she knew what it was going to feel like, and the one after that was even better. The fourth hit, she didn’t even feel a burning on her throat. But that also might have been because she was high.

“That’s probably enough for now,” Chloe told her. “But you can do more later if you like it.”

Max’s mouth was dry, and her tongue felt kind of heavy. The world hadn’t blurred at the edges, but her sensations had. And at the same time everything she was touching, or was close to her, felt sharper, more defined. It was almost like she was more aware of herself. But as her attention slowly shifted around the room, that feeling shifted with her.

When she looked out the window, the snow was all she could focus on, how the thick flakes reminded her of tilting her head back and tasting the snow as a kid.

When she looked down at her feet, all she could think about was how they were tingling a little.

When she looked at Chloe, well. It was like nothing else existed in the world.

Eventually she realized Chloe was talking to her.

“…ax. Max!”

Max blinked. “Sorry, what?”

Chloe giggled, outright giggled, her cheeks reddening with her laughter. Her eyes were a little red on the edges too, but all Max could really think was how fucking _pretty_ she looked.

“I asked what you wanted to do,” Chloe explained. “Guess that also answers if you’re high or not yet.”

Max nodded, a few too many times. “Yeah. Definitely high.”

“Thoughts so far?” Chloe asked, almost hesitantly, and Max knew she was nervous about her having a bad time.

“I like it,” Max assured her. It was true. It was weird, and she wasn’t used to it, but more than anything else she felt relaxed. Cheerful. Like all the weight from everything that had happened wasn’t quite so heavy. She could see why Chloe did this all the time.

“Yeah?” Chloe smiled. “Coolness. Whatcha wanna do?”

Max considered this. What did she wanna do? Man, there were so many possibilities…

“I think I’m kinda hungry,” she said, and the moment she did her stomach growled. “Make that really hungry, actually.” She’d heard about ‘the munchies’, and seen Chloe get it, but _wow_.

Chloe laughed again. “Common side-effect. C’mon. Let’s see what we’ve got for grub around here.”

Chloe took Max’s hand. This had been happening more and more lately, especially after the kiss. Neither of them had commented on it, but Max didn’t want it to stop. In fact, she felt more aware than ever of Chloe’s hand around her own, and she held it tightly, enjoying the warmth.

Going down the stairs high was also an experience. Chloe’s hand kept her steady, but Max kind of felt like she was listing to the side, even just standing still.

When they got downstairs Chloe threw open the fridge, scanning the contents. “Nothing here,” she said, moving to the cupboards. “Maybe we could – hey, wait.” She stood on her tip-toes, looking in the higher part of the cupboard. “Oh, hell yes!”

“Oh god,” Max said, taking an exaggerated step back. “That enthusiasm scares me.”

“Shut up, this idea is genius.” Chloe pulled something down from the cupboard and turned around with a flourish. “Remember what we used to always make whenever it was snowing really bad when we were kids?” Chloe asked, a little quietly.

It took a second to slide into place, and when it did Max gasped in delight. “Hot chocolate?”

“Wiiiiith marshmalllooowwwssss,” Chloe added in a sing-song voice.

“You’re right,” Max said. “You’re a genius.”

“Hah!” Chloe pumped her fist triumphantly. “I told you. All of my ideas are amazing, and I’m always right.”

“Whatever you say,” Max replied tolerantly, pursing her lips to try and keep from smiling. It didn’t work.

“Bite me,” Chloe shot back, putting the chocolate bars she was holding on the counter, and leaning over to pull the milk out of the fridge.

“Get a pot Max,” Chloe told her, as she began the process of picking mugs for them. Chloe always picked the mugs, but Max didn’t mind. Chloe really took her time with it, and the choices would change a lot depending on her mood. Sometimes it was playful, and she’d give Max the one with a mustache on it, or the #1 Boss mug she had for some reason, or the really ugly mug they’d decorated together as kids. There was also the old Campbell’s’ Soup mug that Chloe knew Max liked, because the paint had peeled off over time and it reminded her of a vintage advertisement. Or the mug with a pixelated Mario Toad on it with a speech bubble that said: THE PRINCESS IS IN ANOTHER CASTLE. A lot of the mugs had been gifts from Max over the years, but there were several new ones too that Chloe probably picked out on her own. Or maybe Rachel or Joyce had given some to her.

But Chloe’s current favorite _was_ one that Max had given her just recently. It was black, and in lowercase white letters it said very simply: “meh”. Chloe used that mug all the time, and it always made Max feel…lighter. Warm. A million things, all at once.

She grabbed a pot from the cupboard – even after all these years, they were mostly being kept in the same place – and put it on the stove.

A few seconds later, Chloe joined her by the stove, setting the mugs – her usual “meh” one, and today’s pick for Max: a very pretty one with a mermaid painted on it. It had been done with acrylics, giving the mug a kind of texture, making the mermaid’s scales seem more real. The mermaid was delicate, and pretty, with short brown hair floating around her in the water. She seemed to be staring very determinedly at something.

“Max, you’re zoning again,” Chloe’s amused voice came through to her, and Max shook herself out of her thoughts.

“Sorry,” she said, focusing on Chloe.

“Do you remember the recipe?” Chloe asked, and again her voice was kind of quiet. Max knew why: it was William’s recipe, short and simple though it was. He’d always said that nothing could beat homemade hot chocolate made with real chocolate bars and milk, and after Max had tried it, she’d agreed with him. She hadn’t had that kind of hot chocolate since he’d been alive, and that was probably true for Chloe too.

“I do,” she told Chloe, and for a while they didn’t say much at all, just made their hot chocolate.

“You know,” she said finally, and Chloe looked over at her. She was stirring the milk as the chocolate melted, and had been very careful to keep it from burning. “This doesn’t really solve the hunger problem.”

Chloe smirked. “That’s true. We could do a frozen pizza, if you wanted.”

Pizza sounded delicious, though just about the thought of any kind of food was making her salivate. “Yeah, I can get that in the oven if you want,” Max said.

“Go for it.” Chloe turned her attention back to the hot chocolate.

The hot chocolate was finished first, and they went and sat by the sliding glass door, watching the snow as it covered the back yard even more. It was starting to pile up against the door as well, at least four inches worth. They plunked marshmallows into their hot chocolate and drank it mostly in silence. They were sitting very close together, their legs touching, and Max shifted, her arm bumping Chloe’s.

“You can lean on me if you want,” Chloe said, looking over at her. She looked more relaxed than Max had seen her in a long time.

“Um.” That hadn’t been what Max was trying to do, but it was a tempting offer. “Sure, okay.” She moved so that she was leaning against Chloe, her head resting on her neck. Chloe’s skin was toasting-warm, and Max wanted to snuggle closer, even as her heart pounded.

After a minute, she felt Chloe’s arm moving from behind her, hooking around her waist. It was a simple thing, really, but it felt intimate, and her heart beat even faster. She finished off her hot chocolate, and as she set her mug on the carpet she saw Chloe do the same. A sudden thought crossed her mind as Chloe tipped the mug back, drinking the last of it: did Chloe’s mouth taste like chocolate now?

This thought – as it always did when she had them, which was more and more often – made heat flash across her face, all the way up to her ears, which felt as though they were burning a little.

“I love watching the snow fall,” Chloe said quietly. “It’s so beautiful.”

Of course the first thing to pop into Max’s head would be cheesy, and of course she would say it without thinking: “You’re beautiful.”

She immediately cringed, and raised her hand to rewind, but Chloe caught it before she could get far enough.

“No,” she said, holding Max’s wrist. “Don’t rewind.”

For several seconds both of them just sat there, Chloe holding Max’s wrist, their hands partially up in the air.

Max’s mouth felt dry again. “Okay,” she said, and it came out very quietly. The snow outside felt like it had muted everything, even what was happening inside, so that all the other sounds of the world were less important. What _was_ important was here, this moment, the sound of Chloe’s breathing. The way her thumb slowly traced across the inside of her wrist, and Max shivered.

“Chloe,” she said, and they both leaned back to look at each other.

The timer on the oven went off, buzzing loudly and making them jump.

Heat flashed through Max’s face again as she sprang to her feet and practically ran to the kitchen to turn off the timer and pull out the pizza.

Max felt nervous, jumpy almost, and she actually dropped the pizza, necessitating in a rewind. Keeping her hands steady, she put the pizza on the stovetop.

“Pizza’s ready!” She called to Chloe, letting out a deep breath. That moment there…it had been kind of like when they’d kissed, before. She’d felt the same anticipation before she’d done it the first time, and she had wanted to do it again. She’d wanted to kiss Chloe a million times since then, but especially so in that moment.

Chloe came in and got her pizza, and as per usual when something like this happened between them they didn’t-quite ignore it; Chloe kind of brushed past what had happened, but Max had a feeling she wouldn’t forget it, and might bring it up later. Or hell, even tease her about it. They’d teased each other about the kiss, after all.

They finished the pizza – the whole pizza – in record time, and for a few moments just sat there, feeling wonderfully full.

“Well, Supermax, what now?” Chloe asked, leaning back on her hands.

Max thought about this. It was so much fun to be there, like one of their childhood sleepovers, and actually doing something they’d done as kids had been even more fun…maybe they could do something like that again?

The perfect idea came to her, and she grinned. “Chloe,” she said proudly. “I know just what to do.”

“Don’t leave me in suspense, dude!” Chloe sat straighter in her excitement and curiosity.

Max leaned in for maximum effect. “We build a _fort_.”

Chloe’s eyes immediately lit up, and Max’s stomach lurched pleasantly at the sight. God, the way she looked sometimes…it really did just take Max’s breath away.

“ _Fuck_ yes!” Chloe cheered, leaping to her feet. “Oh, Max, that is the BEST idea ever! And I totally know how we should build it too. Come on!” Chloe practically ran for the stairs and toward the linen closet.

“Hey, Max,” Chloe called back to her as Max started to follow. “Can you grab some couch cushions?”

“Okay!” Max called back up, turning on her heel and picking up three of the cushions. She carried them up the stairs and to Chloe’s room with some difficulty, almost dropping them a few times.

Chloe was in the room by the time she got up there, and had piled some blankets and sheets on the floor, as well as a few extra pillows Max knew were usually kept in the closet.

“Okay,” Max said. “What was your idea?”

“I really wanted to have it so that we could watch the snow from inside the fort,” Chloe said immediately. “And kind make it like a movie theater, if you know what I mean?”

Max considered this. “I think I do, yeah,” she said slowly, smiling. “And I think I know how to pull it off, too.”

“I love that look in your eye,” Chloe said eagerly.

It took a little bit of rearranging – and rewinding – to get it exactly right, but eventually they were able to create what Max might dare to call a perfect fort.

They’d moved the American flag from over the window, carefully hanging it on an opposite wall (they’d move it back when they took down the fort). They also pushed Chloe’s bed so that it was pressed up against the radiator in front of the window. They piled pillows and couch cushions at the opposite end of the bed, so that they could lay partially reclined against them to look out the window and watch the snow. They dragged a power strip over, so that they could plug in Chloe’s computer to watch a movie if they wanted. They hung dark-colored sheets from the ceiling around the bed, using several thumbtacks to keep them up. The sheets framed three sides of the bed, leaving the fourth pressed up as close as it could get to the window, with the radiator being in the way.

Chloe also dug up an old, but somewhat big, candle in a plastic holder. She placed it on the windowsill, in the middle and well away from the blankets and sheets and pillows.

“We’ll still have to be careful not to kick the wall,” Max said, mentally preparing herself for rewinds if Chloe managed to catch them on fire.

But, other than that potential danger, it was pretty fucking awesome.

“This,” Chloe declared, “Is the best thing ever. I bow to the almighty Max, thinker of great ideas.”

Max laughed. “Why thank you,” she replied in a pompous voice, and both of them laughed at that.

Surprisingly, it was only seven o’clock when they were finished, even though it felt later. Chloe offered for them to smoke another bowl, and Max agreed. Her high had considerably worn off, and she’d been having a lot of fun, and didn’t even feel tired.

They brought Sayaka the bong into their fort, and smoked in there, sitting cross-legged across from each other.

“Wanna play a game?” Chloe asked. “To smoke this, I mean. I dunno, sometimes it’s just a fun thing to do.”

“Sure,” Max said. “How do you play?”

“Ever heard of Never Have I Ever?” Chloe asked.

Max blinked at her. “I thought that was a stripping game.”

Chloe laughed. “It can be. Y’know, if you want,” she added, winking at Max, and Max looked away from her, her ears feeling warm again. “But in this case instead of taking off your clothes, you take a hit off the bong. Make sense?”

Max nodded. “Yeah, I think so.”

“Sweet. I’ll go first.” Chloe paused for a moment, considering her statement. “Never have I ever…lived in Seattle.”

Max rolled her eyes. “Oh, are we supposed to use the easy ones?” she asked, lighting the bowl and inhaling the smoke.

Chloe rolled her eyes. “Shut up. It’s more fun if you’re really trying to get the other person to smoke, or drink, or whatever.”

 _Or take off their clothes?_ Max thought, and she was distracted, momentarily, at the images she pictured at this thought. She took a moment to recover, trying to focus on thinking of a statement to get Chloe to smoke.

“Okay,” Max said. “Never have I ever…gotten drunk.”

“I should take a double hit for that one,” Chloe commented dryly. “I’ve gotten drunk a _lot_.”

“I know,” Max said, trying to hide her mild disapproval. She wasn’t judging Chloe, she just…worried about her. It wasn’t healthy to drink as much as she had been before.

Chloe took her hit – double hit, rather – and then said: “Never have I ever developed my own film.”

Max rolled her eyes, taking her hit. “Never have I ever,” she said when she was done, “had a boyfriend.”

Chloe shot her a weird look. “I’ve never had a boyfriend either. Boy toy phase, remember?”

“Oh.” Max did remember her saying that, though her brain felt a little fuzzy. “I guess I thought you still had at least one boyfriend.”

“Nope. Just some fuck buddies, really.” Chloe shrugged. “Nothing important.”

“Ah!” Max snapped her fingers. “There’s one! Never have I ever had sex!”

Chloe obligingly took her hit, and then immediately shot back: “Never have I ever rewound time.”

“Now that’s really cheating!” Max poked her in the chest, laughing as she took the bong and her hit.

“Never have I never dyed my hair,” Max said, holding out the bong for Chloe to take, her arm swaying a little.

Chloe did take it, but didn’t smoke. Her mouth was partly open, like she was thinking about saying something.

“What?” Max asked as the high continued to roll over her, more powerful than the last one. She still felt happy and relaxed, though, which was good.

“We, um, could, you know. If you wanted.” Chloe said, not looking at her.

Max stared at her for a second, not understanding. “Could what?”

“Dye your hair.” Chloe shrugged. “Only if you want to.”

Max, still surprised at this turn of events, frowned as she thought about it. Well, she did love Chloe’s hair. She thought it looked amazing. And she’d always kind of wanted to do something sort of rebellious and daring like that. Blackwell wouldn’t allow her to dye all her hair, but she could do highlights, or the tips. In fact, the more she thought about it, the more she could see it: herself, blue hair at the tips that matched Chloe’s. She…really liked that idea.

“Let’s do it,” she said, and Chloe seemed surprised as well.

“Really?” she asked, a look of pure delight on her face

“Really,” Max confirmed, and Chloe bounced a little on the bed.

“Max,” she said sincerely, “You are the _best_.”

Minutes later they were in the bathroom, getting everything ready for the dye job.

“I’ve done tips before,” Chloe said. “How far up do you want the tips to go?”

“Um,” Max paused, thinking. Blackwell didn’t give specifics on how much, just that all the hair couldn’t be dyed an unnatural color. “Up to the bottom of my head?”

“So it’s kinda in your lower roots?” Chloe asked, mostly to herself. She nodded. “Yeah, I like that.”

She’d brought in a chair for Max to sit on, so she sat. As soon as she did, Chloe started separating her hair into sections with the help of a comb. Then, she picked up a brush.

“Let me know if I pull too hard,” Chloe said, and Max nodded, but couldn’t say anything. Her neck was tingling where Chloe touched it as she ran her fingers and the brush through Max’s hair. Max stayed very still, trying not to show how much every brush, how even the barest stroke of fingers, made a shiver run down her spine.

Once her hair was all brushed, Chloe grabbed the bottle of hair dye and the plastic gloves that came with it. “Ready for this, Maxamillion?” she asked, meeting her eyes in the mirror.

Max nodded, not looking away from her.

Chloe squeezed the bottle, gathering what looked like blue shampoo in her hands.

“This won’t be quite as bright as mine,” Chloe told her. “Cause your hair’s a light brown, not blonde. Bleaching it would get the best results, but that’d take a really long time.”

“That’s fine,” Max said, watching as she picked up a section of hair and began applying the dye.

It itched and burned a little, but Chloe’s fingers were a nice relief when they touched her scalp, and the pulling motion through her hair still felt very relaxing. Chloe took her time with it, sometimes sticking her tongue out of the corner of her mouth while she worked, her eyebrows furrowed. It felt like it took a long time, and yet no time at all. Like every second was slow, but when it was done she was kind of startled that it was over already.

“Time to let it sit,” Chloe told her. “It’ll probably burn a bit, but let me know if your head feels like its on fire or something.”

“Is that likely to happen?” Max asked, somewhat alarmed.

Chloe laughed. “No. Chillax, Max.”

After setting an alarm on her phone – for 45 minutes – Max also remembered that she’d wanted to text Joyce about them using the couch cushions for their fort. She typed it more slowly than usual, not wanting to give any kind of hint that she was high.

Joyce replied a few minutes later, and actually sounded pretty happy:

_You go right ahead, honey. Gosh, it makes me all nostalgic, remembering you and Chloe doing that as kids. Just make sure I get them back in good condition, you hear?_

Smiling, Max sent her a message back – _Sure thing, Joyce! Thanks!_ –

“Whadya say we watch something? Like a movie, or a TV show?” Chloe asked.

Max remembered all those sleepovers where they’d stayed up late marathoning movies. Once they’d watched all the Star Wars movies in a row, including the prequels, over the course of their sleepover. And she remembered, too, in another timeline, watching a movie with another Chloe, a dying Chloe. She pushed that memory away.

“Sounds great,” she said. “What movie were you thinking of?”

Chloe flushed a little. “Um, haven’t decided yet,” she said, turning quickly and grabbing her computer. “Don’t lean against the pillows while that’s in your hair,” Chloe reminded her.

“I know,” Max told her, sliding inside the fort with her. The movie was already pulled up on the computer. She’d sure chosen fast.

“What are we watching?” Max asked.

“Ah,” Chloe fidgeted a little. “ _The Princess Bride_. If that’s cool with you, you know.”

Max perked up. “Really? I love that movie!”

Chloe smiled, ducking her head a little. “Yeah, I know.”

For a second Max couldn’t say anything. She swallowed, and cleared her throat.

“Well, let’s watch it then,” she said, sitting next to Chloe and facing her computer screen. Chloe busied herself lighting the candle, and then she lay down by Max. The light from the screen and the candle skimmed along her legs. Max’s eyes traced over the shape, the curve of her thigh, up to her hip. And she’d seen how toned Chloe’s stomach was, when they went swimming in the Blackwell pool. Max had wanted to touch her stomach to feel for herself.

Her gaze went higher still…Max closed her eyes as she thought about it. What would happen if she touched Chloe’s breast? What would it feel like? Her own? Would Chloe like it? Max wanted to try it.

Still her eyes traveled up, along Chloe’s neck. Max shivered at the idea of Chloe kissing her own neck; would Chloe like the same? Then, her lips. They’d kissed before, of course, briefly, only long enough for Max to know that she wanted more. But Chloe had stepped back, and they hadn’t done it since. But Max had thought about it. Dreamed about it. And she thought that Chloe maybe had, too.

It was hard not to think of these things while watching _The Princess Bride_. Buttercup and Westley talking about their true love all the time kind of made it inevitable, and Max tried not to show the direction of her thoughts. But still, she couldn’t help looking at Chloe.

The timer to rinse her hair went off just as Westley was facing the Battle of Wits with Vizzini. Chloe paused the movie as Max quickly but thoroughly washed her hair in the sink, and then blow-dried it. Since her hair was fairly short, this also didn’t take very long, maybe around twenty or so minutes.

Her dry, slightly frizzy hair seemed to sort of float around her, not unlike that mermaid mug, and Max stared at her reflection in the bathroom mirror. It was true that the blue wasn’t quite as bright as Chloe’s, but it was still very visible. She turned her head left and right, looking at all the angles. She ran her hand through it, excitement building in her chest. She really liked it. No, she _loved_ it. Maybe Chloe was right – maybe eventually she _would_ end up going to a rave at this rate. Definitely wasn’t something she could imagine doing soon, but hey, maybe someday.

Slightly nervous, Max stepped out of the bathroom, and back in the fort.

“Well,” she said as she climbed in. “What do you think?”

Chloe looked up from her computer. The lighting in the fort was soft, but she should still have been able to see the dye job. She didn’t say anything at first, just looked at her.

“Wow, Max,” Chloe breathed, her eyes soft. “You look amazing.”

“Yeah?” Max could feel her face heating up.

“Yeah,” Chloe confirmed. She blinked, and then looked down. “Um, come on, let’s finish the movie.”

“Uh, yeah. Right.” Max crawled forward, laying down next to Chloe this time. She started up the movie again, and at first Max was able to just concentrate on that. But, about the time Wesley shouted “AS – YOU – WISH – ” after Buttercup shoved him down a hill, she shifted a little, getting more comfortable, and she realized she’d moved closer to Chloe. Or maybe Chloe had moved closer to her.

Max could feel her body move with each slow breath. Max tried to focus on the movie again, but then she felt something like a fluttering on her neck. A shudder worked its way down her spine, and she inhaled sharply at the sensation. She realized a second later that she was feeling Chloe’s breath ghosting along her neck and shoulder. Which meant that Chloe was looking at her.

Max turned her head to look at Chloe too.

She was indeed staring at Max, her lips a little parted. Max bit her own lip. It felt like she couldn’t breathe, couldn’t move, but she wanted to move, wanted to lean forward and see if Chloe would still taste like chocolate.

She didn’t know which of them leaned first, or maybe if they moved at the same time, but suddenly they were moving together and Chloe’s mouth was on hers, and it was like Max had swallowed the sun. Her arms wrapped around Chloe’s shoulders, and her skin felt like fire, but Max liked the burning. It warmed her down to her fingertips, her toes, and she felt like it would burst from her, and she wondered _is this what they mean by fireworks_ , and she tilted her head and Chloe opened her mouth and _oh_.

Max made a humming sound, pulling closer to Chloe as Chloe’s hands fisted in her shirt, seemingly in response to the sound Max made. Chloe pressed close to Max as well, actually grinding against her, and Max gasped.

Chloe let out a shuddering breath, and Max leaned forward, kissing her again and closing her eyes. Chloe eagerly returned the kiss, sucking a little on Max’s lower lip, making Max give a low moan.

Chloe made a little satisfied sound in the back of her throat, and Max thought to herself: _Oh, two can play at that game, Chloe Price_.

She pulled back from Chloe’s mouth, pressing kisses along Chloe’s jawline, down her neck. Chloe gave a strangled gasp. Max sucked a little on part of her neck, pressing her teeth in very lightly, and Chloe actually whimpered.

Chloe’s hands traveled down her hips, around to her ass, pulling her closer, looping a leg up around her, rolling her hips, and even through her pajama pants Max could feel her clit rubbing against Chloe’s leg, and she let out a shuddering breath. Chloe’s clit rubbed against Max’s leg as well, and Chloe inhaled sharply, tipping Max’s face up and kissing her deeply again.

Max moaned against Chloe’s mouth. It was warm and wet, and her tongue felt _so_ good.

Chloe’s hands flirted with the edge of Max’s shirt. “Can I?” She asked, panting.

Max nodded. “Y-yeah.” Right now, she wanted Chloe to touch her _everywhere_. “C-can I?” She gestured to Chloe’s chest as well, and Chloe chuckled a little.

“Hell yeah,” she replied breathlessly. Her eyes were heavily dilated, pupils wide and deep, and Max knew was silly and ridiculous, but she felt like she really could just stare into them forever.

Chloe’s mouth went to Max’s neck this time, and Max gave a sharp gasp, arching into the touch, tilting her head back to give Chloe better access. Chloe’s hands pushed up her shirt, traveling up and just brushing underneath her beast, and Max couldn’t help a “Mmmmm,” of pleasure. 

Max’s hands pushed up Chloe’s shirt as well, feeling the planes of her muscular stomach, which twitched under touch, up and up. Her hand stilled as Chloe’s fingers traced lightly up her breast, slowly stroking over her nipple.

“ _God_ ,” she gasped, reaching up and grasping Chloe’s breast as well, rubbing her thumb over her nipple. It perked up at the touch, and Chloe pressed herself closer into Max’s hand with a moan, throwing her head back.

Their eyes met, and Max leaned in to kiss her again, slowly this time. When she pulled back, Max reached up, her fingers curling along Chloe’s neck, along her pulse point, further proof that Chloe was here and _alive_ with her. Chloe’s hands went up her back, and Max practically purred as she pulled back to look at Chloe. Her hair was disheveled, her eyes red-rimmed from smoking, and there were faint impressions of lines in the side of her face from lying on the pillow, but Max had never seen anything prettier.

She didn’t even think about it, the words just came: “I love you.”

Max knew that this might have seemed rushed, and she hadn’t meant to say them at all, but they were true. She might have only been back with Chloe for a little while, but she’d loved Chloe for pretty much her whole life, and she was never gonna stop. Okay, so the wanting to kiss her part was somewhat new – before she’d moved to Seattle she’d felt flutters of _something_ , and then they’d left before she’d figured it out – but she couldn’t remember ever not loving Chloe.

Chloe’s eyes were wide, unbelieving. “You…” her voice shook a little. “ You love me?” she whispered. "Like - like _in_ love, love me?"

Mad nodded, her face burning. "Y-yeah. I do." 

Chloe continued to stare at her, and then she blinked rapidly, and when she spoke her voice hitched a little. "H--how? How could you..." she let out a shaky breath, and her next words were quieter. "Why would you love _me_?" 

 _Oh, Chloe._ Max's chest tightened at her words, and then she shook her head. “Chloe, I’ve loved you pretty much my whole life.” She leaned closer, kissing Chloe quickly again before going on. “Without you, I never would’ve discovered my power. I never would’ve been brave enough to dye my hair. You make me feel like I know what I’m doing, and Chloe you’re so…” Max trailed off. “You’re so brave, and – and loyal, and really kind, even when you don’t have to be, and you always know how to make me laugh, and sometimes I just sit here in – in awe of you, because you’re so _strong_ , Chloe, after everything you’ve been through.”

Chloe’s eyes filled with tears. “Max…”

“And I can’t stop looking at you, and taking pictures of you,” Max went on, all of these feelings just seeming to spill form her. ‘Cause you’re – you’re really pretty, Chloe.”

She paused, and there was so much more she wanted to say, but all of a sudden she didn’t have the words for it all.

“Max,” Chloe said again. “I – ” She took a deep breath. “I love you too.”

Max didn’t know what to say to that, like there were still no words for the feeling rising in her chest, but Chloe didn’t seem to mind. They kissed again, sweetly, gently, their arms coming up the wrap around the other’s shoulders.

They kept kissing, Tiredness seemed to settle over Max like a fog. She didn’t know if she was just exhausted, or if this was a side-effect of the pot, but she could feel herself starting to fall sleep.

They scooted closer to each other, and Max rested her head against Chloe’s collarbone, Chloe’s arm wrapped tight around her. She kissed Chloe’s chest softly a few times, smiling as she felt Chloe laugh a little at the touches. Chloe’s hand was rubbing warm circles in her back, and her eyelids were starting to droop.

Her head moved in time with Chloe’s breathing, and this too was hypnotic, and soon Max was fighting to stay awake. As she started to fall asleep she focused on the still-falling snow. It had slowed down a bit, but the flakes continued to be thick and fluffy, and Max could hear Chloe’s heartbeat thumping steadily in her ear.

Chloe felt so warm, and the sound of her heart was like a lullaby, comforting and familiar, and Max thought, as she drifted to sleep, that if she were ever to get stuck in a moment in time, she wouldn’t mind being stuck here.

 

**Author's Note:**

> For those curious, this is more-or-less how I picture Max's hair looking after the dye job: http://40.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m340mtKcqv1rut9u9o1_500.png
> 
> For maximum effect, I actually wrote this while watching the snow fall outside. Just a fun little side note. :) 
> 
> Kudos, comment, and bookmark if you liked! And keep an eye out for my upcoming Life is Strange fics.
> 
> Also, here's a cute piece of fanart with a similar subject by noelzzz: http://noelzzz.deviantart.com/art/Fire-It-Up-582138708?q=gallery%3Anoelzzz%2F577566&qo=8


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